As Muslim Terrorists Murder 8 Christians During Renewed Massacres in Plateau State
(Wereng, Plateau State) As armed Fulani militias gun down unarmed villagers in Plateau State, Nigerian ex-pats have registered their horror and shock with TruthNigeria reporters.
Fulani Ethnic terrorists launched fresh attacks on Christians in Plateau State, killing at least eight, chiefly children and the elderly, in Riyom County (Local Government Area), Wednesday night, May 14.
The county is one of the homelands of the Berom tribe, which has suffered scores of relentless attacks by armed gangs during the last five years, according to Nigerian American citizens interviewed by TruthNigeria.
“On behalf of the United Middlebelt Forum based in the United States, we’re appalled by the endless genocide perpetrated against the indigenous peoples of the Middlebelt region of Nigeria,” texted
Dr. Nash Pwol, president of the United Middlebelt Forum.
“We demand that the U.S. Congress impose economic sanctions against the Nigeria government to ensure that our citizens are protected from these heartless Fulani terrorists,” Pwol went on to say.
“The most basic reason for the existence of any government is to guarantee the people’s safety. Trillions of Naira has been budgeted for defense but sadly, even the army barracks have been unable to protect their own bases,” according to Pwol.
Naomi, A., a proud member of the Berom tribe in Montgomery County, Maryland tells TruthNigeria she is writing to Chris Hollen, her U.S. Senator, to seek his involvement. Due to threats against her family in Plateau State, she requested anonymity.
“As a Christian from Plateau State now living in the United States, my heart is broken over the suffering our people are enduring back home. The situation in Berom and many other parts of Plateau is deeply disturbing. Fulani militants have taken over our ancestral lands, destroying farms, homes, and lives while the Nigerian government stands by and does nothing,” she wrote.
“Entire communities have been displaced,” Naomi went on to say. “Families who have lived on their lands for generations are now squatting with relatives or sleeping in makeshift camps, stripped of their dignity and robbed of their means of survival. Women, children, and the elderly are living in fear every day, not knowing if they’ll be attacked at night or lose their last piece of farmland to invaders.
“I will be contacting Senator Chris Van Hollen to urge that the United States impose sanctions on the Nigerian government for refusing to protect Christians in Plateau and for allowing Fulani terrorists to operate freely,” Naomi wrote.
In a simultaneous wave of violence this week, Irigwe tribal communities in Bassa County, Kpachudu village, suffered crop destruction of more than 300 hectares of farmland destroyed.
Riyom, located 20 miles southwest of Jos, the Plateau State capital, is home to majority-Christian farming communities who have increasingly come under attack by armed groups identified as radicalized Fulani herders. The latest massacre is part of a broader trend of systematic violence targeting indigenous groups in Nigeria’s Middle Belt intended to displace Christian settlements and then seize their ancestral lands, according to the victims.
Targeted Killings and Unprovoked Attacks
By Lawrence Zongo
Eyewitnesses in Wereng Camp, where 8 persons were killed May 14, described a harrowing scene as gunmen stormed the village under the cover of darkness and opened fire on sleeping residents.
“They came in large numbers around midnight, shooting at anything that moved,” said one survivor, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal. “Most of those killed were the elderly and children. There was no provocation — they just attacked.”
Several people were injured in the assault and are currently receiving treatment at a local hospital. The attackers also set homes ablaze and looted food supplies, compounding the suffering of survivors who now face displacement, hunger, and trauma.
Community sources said the attack mirrors others in recent months, characterized by calculated nighttime raids, mass killings, and destruction of livelihoods. Despite repeated appeals for help, they say state and federal authorities have failed to provide adequate protection or to arrest the perpetrators.
“This is Ethnic Cleansing, not a Clash”
On May 14, the same day as the Riyom attack, Fulani militias struck Kpachudu Village in Bassa County West of Jos, home to the Irigwe ethnic group. The coordinated crop destruction on farmlands, critical to the community’s survival, was deliberately destroyed, with more than 300 hectares of crops trampled, uprooted, or grazed by cattle, officials told TruthNigeria.
“This is not a farmer-herder clash. It is targeted, systematic, and genocidal,” said Dr. Joshua Riti, the local administrative head of Bassa County. He led a joint assessment mission to the devastated communities, accompanied by members of the Nigerian Police, Army, and armed men dubbed “Agro Rangers.”
Riti, whose own village was previously attacked, decried the lack of government intervention. “These Christian communities are under siege. We are being wiped out, one village at a time. The international community must act before it’s too late.”
Farmers Devastated: “They Want to Starve Us”
In Kpachudu village, in Bassa County, armed Fulani herders allegedly destroyed crops and drove cattle into cultivated fields under armed protection, causing millions of naira in losses. Farmers report that maize, hot pepper, cabbage, and potatoes — all ready for harvest — were deliberately grazed and uprooted.
“I lost over ten million naira,” said Ibrahim Danjuma, a local farmer. They came with their cattle and destroyed everything. When we report to security agencies, they promise to arrest the cows, but we know the risk — the attackers return at night and kill us.”
Elisha Thomas, another farmer, described how he and others tried to confront the herders on May 14. “We managed to seize some of their cattle, but no Fulani were arrested. This happens every farming season, and it’s getting worse.”
Sunday Tanko, a cabbage and potato farmer, said the destruction has become routine. “They destroy our crops, and when a cow dies, we are the ones arrested. The military often sides with them. We can’t survive this.”
Security Forces Accused of Complicity and Inaction
Mounting allegations of bias among security forces have fueled public anger. Ezekiel Bini, National Leader of the Irigwe Youth Movement, accused the Nigerian Army of targeting local youths for arrest whenever herders report cattle deaths.
“Our people were detained for days without due process,” Bini said. “But no one is arrested when our villages are burnt and our farms destroyed. The government must ban open grazing and enforce accountability.”
Call for International Attention and Humanitarian Support
As attacks escalate, local leaders are appealing for urgent international intervention. They are asking for humanitarian aid, diplomatic pressure on the Nigerian government, and support for displaced families.
“This is organized violence. It is not isolated,” Dr. Riti emphasized. “If nothing is done, the Irigwe people—and other Christian communities in central Nigeria—may be erased from their ancestral lands.”
Lawrence Zongo is a human rights defender and Campaigner, reporting on Conflict for TruthNigeria.
